The field of the disclosure relates generally to axial flux electric machines, and more specifically, modular rotor assemblies for axial flux electric machines.
One of many applications for an electric motor is to operate a pump or a blower. The electric motor may be configured to rotate an impeller within a pump or blower, which displaces a fluid, causing a fluid flow. Many gas burning appliances include an electric motor, for example, water heaters, boilers, pool heaters, space heaters, furnaces, and radiant heaters. In some examples, the electric motor powers a blower that moves air or a fuel/air mixture through the appliance. In other examples, the electric motor powers a blower that distributes air output from the appliance.
A common motor used in such systems is an alternating current (AC) induction motor. Typically, the AC induction motor is a radial flux motor, where the flux extends radially from the axis of rotation. Another type of motor that may be used in the application described above is an electronically commutated motor (ECM). ECMs may include, but are not limited to, brushless direct current (BLDC) motors, permanent magnet alternating current (PMAC) motors, and variable reluctance motors. Typically, these motors provide higher electrical efficiency than an AC induction motor. Some ECMs have an axial flux configuration in which the flux in the air gap extends in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor.
At least some known axial flux motors include a rotor with a plurality of permanent magnets and a stator with an annular back iron. The back iron includes a plurality of magnetic teeth formed on the back iron having electrically conductive windings disposed thereon. Unlike radial flux motors in which the rotor is positioned within the stator (or vice versa), the rotor and stator are positioned adjacent each other in a face-to-face configuration. The electromagnetic teeth are annularly disposed around the stator and extend axially towards the permanent magnets from a back iron that couples the teeth to each other. However, these known axial flux motors typically require customized components and costly equipment to manufacture motors with different operating characteristics (e.g., motor size, torque, speed, number of poles, etc.). In addition, maintenance on the components of these motors may be difficult to perform without replacing the entire rotor or stator.